Do you see what I see?

Fact - one in five Australians are affected by mental illness every year.

What’s worse is that many of these people struggle to seek help due to stigma.

This World Mental Health Day, on Wednesday 10 October, the ‘Do You See What I See’ Campaign will be launched to encourage Aussies to make a #MentalHealthPromise to themselves.

More than 700 organisations have engaged with the campaign, which has received more than 20,000 mental health promises already made online.

Wagga Wagga City Council and Bunnings Warehouse have shown their support by participating in the Guinness World Record for the greatest number of people wearing high visibility vests in one location.

The aim is to shed light and raise the visibility and awareness of mental health in the community, particularly amongst young men.

Mental Health Australia CEO Frank Quinlan said this year’s response has been the biggest ever.

“Year-on-year, the interest in World Mental Health Day continues to grow – to me that’s a clear sign that we are reducing stigma, and more and more people are prepared to talk and hopefully seek help,” Mr Quinlan said.

“We’ve seen a huge increase in the participation of workplaces over the last two years and have tailored our messaging accordingly to encourage people to shed a more positive light on mental health at work.

“We know from our recent Investing to Save Report with KPMG that investment in workplace initiatives could save the nation more than $4.5 billion, and to see some of the biggest employers in the country engage with this year’s campaign, is a clear sign that people are becoming more and more aware of just how important it is to look after mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.”

As part of Queensland Mental Health Week, both the Story Bridge and Victoria Bridge will be lit up purple at 6pm on Wednesday 10 October.

If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 1114.